On January 31, 30 wrestlers will enter, but only one will remain as the victor of the Men’s Royal Rumble 2021. One of the most significant events on the WWE slate, winning the Rumble is a tremendous achievement. It also gives the triumphant wrestler a shot at the world championship at WrestleMania 37.
It’s the true start of the year in pro wrestling, and the experts are leaning towards one contender above all others to come out on top. Due to how the WWE works and the requirement of betting sites to offer accurate ratings, the odds are often a good place to look to see who’s currently in line to win the Royal Rumble. In other words, these are who the oddsmakers foresee as the potential winner.
Daniel Bryan
Leading the way by quite a large margin in the Royal Rumble 2021 odds is Daniel Bryan at +120. Even though Drew McIntyre remains the holder of the WWE Championship, as back-to-back winners of the Rumble is unheard of, he sits out at +850 to triumph. His fellow recent winners also sit way behind Bryan’s odds as the favorite, with Seth Rollins at +1400, Shinsuke Nakamura at +1000, and Randy Orton given +2000 odds.
Bryan’s credentials come in the form of his overall likability, his impending retirement as a full-time WWE Superstar, per Forbes, and his veteran skill set. He’s set to commence a transition into a backstage role, already an influential part of the creative team tasked with cultivating new stars. As the first wrestler to announce their participation in the colossal event, his intent is clear, and the bookies are very much on his side.
Keith Lee
From a veteran on his way out to an NXT graduate on the rise, Keith Lee has very quickly become a fan-favorite. The man who made his debut at Royal Rumble 2020 is being given +400 odds of triumphing in his second showing at the keystone event. While behind Bryan, Lee sits ahead of more established names like Brock Lesnar at +800, Goldberg at +900, and wild card Bobby Lashley at +5000.
After Lee made his surprising yet impressive debut at last year’s Rumble, he was given more time in NTX before fully transitioning to the Raw roster. Since late August 2020, he’s been put in with the best names that the WWE has to offer on Monday Night Raw, but Vince McMahon thinks putting him up for the win would be risky. Sportskeeda reports WWE sources saying that the CEO fears that a Lee win would expose him as not being ready for the main roster.
Big E
The man rounding out the top-three in the eyes of the expert oddsmakers is another fan-favorite, Big E. He’s been around for a while, and while he has won titles, Big E hasn’t ever been given a crack at a world championship. At odds of +700, he’s certainly considered to be at the front of the chasing pack, sitting ahead of fellow popular choices Roman Reigns (+1700) and The Rock (+2000).
Currently running a singles push, Big E claims to be shooting for the biggest moment of his career. As reported by Dayton 24/7, Big E is looking forward to the prospect of walking into the Rumble as the [WWE Intercontinental] champion. If he achieves this, he could potentially be leaving with a shot at the world champion at WrestleMania, and then maybe leaving as a double champion.
Coming into the colossal event, the sports odds experts peg Daniel Bryan, Keith Lee, and Big E as the favorites to win this year’s Royal Rumble.